Snow White, Floral Pavilion, New Brighton

AS crackpot political correctness now has it, the seven dwarfs who take in hapless heroine, Princess Snow White, on the run from her murderous royal mother, are played by kids wearing huge goblin-like heads.

AS crackpot political correctness now has it, the seven dwarfs who take in hapless heroine, Princess Snow White, on the run from her murderous royal mother, are played by kids wearing huge goblin-like heads.

This is despite Christmas having traditionally been a prime employment opportunity for genuine showbiz dwarfs nationwide.

All that – plus no more throwing sweets into the audience. Whatever next?

Happily, most other traditional ingredients remain in the mix of this year's New Brighton panto, which, 12 months on from the re-opening of the Floral Pavilion reclaims Pete Price and Roy Brandon among its top attractions after their 2009 sabbatical to the Liverpool Empire to appear alongside Cilla Black in Cinderella.

Snow White, like Cinders, is a put-upon victim of bullying, albeit it with Wirral-based audition winner Kate Mellors determined to imbue the title role with a pristine Julie Andrews-like resilience.

The good news is that the Floral faces the prospect, despite recession, of another festive record-breaker.

But, for appearances sake, some nipping and tucking would not go amiss.

Pete Price's entrance as audience-pleaser Muddles, at 25 minutes into a an over-long 90 minute first half is far too late. He needs to be up there to get the show started.

Likewise, the pace-killing introduction of the dwarfs leads to noticeable restlessness among an otherwise enthusiastic audience.

Roy Brandon's dame is a reminder that traditional panto is as much about the indulgence of dressing up as outrageous physical antics.